


so much I could live for I could die

by louisnights



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Chubby Harry, Friends to Lovers, M/M, No Smut, Sexual Harrassment, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Trans Louis Tomlinson, compound leader harry, dystopian typical violence, the dystopian equivalent of selling feet pics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:54:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24233920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louisnights/pseuds/louisnights
Summary: “Sometimes I wonder what’s out there,” Louis confesses, tucking into his second biscuit. “I wonder if what they’re saying is true, about the Thieves, about the other compounds. Why are we not allowed to leave? Go to other compounds?”Lottie gets up, letting out a sigh as she squeezes his shoulder. “You shouldn’t think like that, Lou, it will get you killed.”“They can’t take away my thoughts,” Louis answers defiantly. Lottie pats his shoulder before she disappears to her room, closing the door behind her with a quiet click.or: Louis is a transgender man who escapes his compound after extenuating circumstances, and meets the Thieves, who show him what freedom really is.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 57
Collections: harry + louis dystopian fic fest round 2





	so much I could live for I could die

**Author's Note:**

> This was difficult to finish due to little to no motivation due to self isolation and social distancing, but i am very proud of how it turned out and i hope you like it!
> 
> if you wanna say hi you can find me on tumblr, my url is onlyforthebravee

Louis walks the narrow street of the compound, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. The street is empty, as usual for such an early time of the morning, the lights above aren’t even on yet to signal the start of the day.

He makes sure to walk quickly and quietly, not attracting any unwanted attention to himself. 

He has to keep his sister’s painkillers safe, knowing how much pain she’ll be in for the rest of the week if he loses them like last time. 

As he walks up to their pod, he slips through the door as quietly as he can, making the click of the lock sound like a whisper. The relief floods through him as he made it home safe, with the painkillers untouched. 

He skips to his sister’s room after getting her some water to sip on and gently nudges her awake. “Lots?”

Lottie stirs, opening her eyes and squinting up at him painfully. “Lou?”

“Hey, love,” Louis reaches into his pocket, showing her the small bag of painkillers he got. “I’ve got you a gift.”

“Are those…” She whispers, eyes widening in shock. “How?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Louis shrugs, reaching into the small bag for a painkiller and putting it softly into the palm of her hand. She immediately takes it, swallowing it dry. Louis helps her take a sip, and she smiles gratefully. 

“Get some sleep,” Louis whispers, giving her a kiss on the forehead. 

He sits with her until the relief of a pain free sleep brings a smile to her lips. 

\-----

The compound-wide alarm sounds about an hour later, the lights all turning on, shining bright. Louis has breakfast ready, and sits at his table, sipping on his coffee. 

He’s not eaten properly since yesterday, but he wants his sister to enjoy all of the food, and besides, he can always use his magic touch to get more rations later.

She stumbles through the door about ten minutes later, groaning softly at the bright lights. She sits down at the table, grabbing at a piece of toast. “How’d you get it, and  _ don’t _ bullshit me.”

“You don't want to know,” Louis replies casually, sipping at his coffee again. Lottie huffs before she starts eating her toast. 

Louis glances at the clock hanging above the doorway. He sighs as he gets up. “Time for work.” 

He presses a quick kiss to Lottie’s forehead before he leaves. Walking through the compound doesn’t take that long, as the compound only has about a thousand citizens. 

The children are all sitting down at their desks as he walks in through the doorway, and he gives them a warm smile. “Good morning, everyone!”

A chorus of ‘good morning mister Tomlinson’ sounds throughout the room, and it brings a warmth to Louis’ heart to hear it. Being a teacher is something he hadn’t planned on doing, but it was his mother’s job before she died and so, the job was passed down to him. 

He doesn’t mind it. He loves seeing the children smile when they get something right, loves teaching them everything he can, loves teaching them to sing during their one hour of play time. 

There are only fifteen children in his classroom, ages six to eight. 

He sits down at his desk, reaching into the drawers for his old and rusty ukulele. It used to be blue but the color has long since faded. “Who here remembers the entire alphabet?”

The children all raise their hands, and Louis gives a proud nod. “Good, now let’s sing it together…” 

His day goes by quickly, staying until the last child has been picked up by their dad at exactly 4:03 PM. 

He bypasses the way home, stopping in front of a pod with a red door and knocking three times.

Bob opens the door, letting him in and looking out to make sure he wasn’t followed before closing it. “Back already?”

“I need my T shots, don’t I?” Louis counters back, sighing. “Keeping this whole thing a secret is getting a bit tired.”

“Your mother wanted to keep you safe,” Bob says firmly. “You’re lucky it was me who was your doctor and not Curtis.”

“Maybe Curtis would be better,” Louis whispers harshly, glaring into Bob’s eyes. “And what would my mother say about what you’ve been doing, huh?”

“I’m keeping you safe,” Bob says firmly, glaring back. 

Louis snorts out a laugh. “Right, just give me the shots, dickhead.”

“One day, I’ll have the strength to deny you,” Bob threatens, and Louis knows it’s an empty threat, has been for the last year. 

Rolling his eyes, Louis walks further into the pod, where the sofa is. He lays down on it, closing eyes and waits.

He doesn’t have to wait long, as Bob takes his shoes off, freeing his toes. 

Letting Bob jerk off to the sight of his feet has always felt dirty, makes him feel a little bit used, but it gets him what he wants.

Bob comes about a minute later, drooling at the sight of Louis’ feet. Louis puts his shoes back on, reaching his hand out. “The shots?”

Bob grumbles under his breath as he disappears through the door to his bedroom, and then appears, handing him the cloth covered shots. Louis smirks at him. “Pleasure, as always, Bobby.”

Then he shoves the shots into his pants, effectively hiding them from view, and makes his way home.

\-----

Lottie is munching on biscuits when he walks in, and he smiles. “You save any for your big bro?”

“Of course,” She smiles back, nudging two biscuits towards him. He takes them, immediately tucking into it. It tastes of sugar, oats and honey. Louis hasn’t had honey in two years, almost forgot what it tasted like. 

“Where’d you get these?” 

Lottie shrugs her shoulders. “Cor brought it for you.”

Corey. The soldier who’s in love with him. The one who keeps showing up with gifts from wherever he gets them, and Louis sighs. “I wonder where he got these, there’s honey in it. The compound ran out of honey two years ago.”

“His last mission was outside the compound,” Lottie explains, finishing her last biscuit. “Maybe he went to another compound.”

“Sometimes I wonder what’s out there,” Louis confesses, tucking into his second biscuit. “I wonder if what they’re saying is true, about the Thieves, about the other compounds. Why are we not allowed to leave? Go to other compounds?”

Lottie gets up, letting out a sigh as she squeezes his shoulder. “You shouldn’t think like that, Lou, it will get you killed.”

“They can’t take away my thoughts,” Louis answers defiantly. Lottie pats his shoulder before she disappears to her room, closing the door behind her with a quiet click.

Louis finishes his biscuit in silence, going to his bed in the living room and taking a nap of his own. He needs to shut down his thoughts. As long as he continues doing what he needs to do to keep them alive, they’ll be okay.

\----

He’s being shaken incessantly, and he blinks his eyes open, Lottie staring down at him with poorly concealed fear written all across her face. “Louis.”

“What?” Louis sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“They captured Corey,” Lottie whispers, her eyes filling with tears. “He was caught bringing in some contraband, I don’t know what it is, but they’re executing him in an hour in the square.”

“What do you mean  _ execute? _ ” Louis gets up from the bed, walking into their kitchen and grabbing their water pitcher. There’s not much water left to last them the rest of the month, and he sighs, putting it back, instead sitting down at the table. Lottie sits down across from him, drying her face with a napkin. 

“What do you think he brought in?”

That’s the true question, Louis thinks, as he buries his face in his hands. He leans back in his seat, glancing at the clock above the doorway. It’s only six in the evening. 

He gets up from his seat, leaning down to give Lottie a tight hug. “Stay here, I’ll be back in a tick.”

“Louis, no,” Lottie snags his arm, trying to pull him back. “You can’t go out there right now, if they catch you-”

Louis puts a finger to her lips, shushing her. “I’ve been breaking the rules for years, babes, I know what I’m doing. I’m going to Bob’s, ask him what he knows.”

“No, Lou,” Lottie starts crying again, hiding her sobs in the sleeve of her cardigan. Louis sighs, hugging her head to his chest. “This isn’t the same as mom. You know that.”

“I can’t lose you, too,” Lottie says between sobs, and Louis can practically feel his heart break into a hundred pieces. Their mum fought hard until the very end, and Louis plans to do the same, he won’t let the Governor and his army scare him into submission. 

He presses more kisses into her hair, glancing back at the clock. It’s twenty past, and he has forty minutes until they’re supposed to show up at the square to bear witness to the execution. 

Lottie let’s him go, hugging her knees to her chest as she stares up at him. Louis presses one more kiss to her temple. “I’m going to Bob’s, meet me at the square when it’s time, okay?”

Lottie just nods, avoiding his gaze. Louis pours her a glass of water, and puts it in front of her. “Drink it, you don’t need the migraine.”

“Okay.”

He leaves.

\-----

When he arrives in front of Bob’s pod, he knocks harshly, incessantly, until Bob opens the door, looking very annoyed. “What the fuck?”

Louis pushes his way inside, and jumps up to sit on the counter in the kitchen. Bob closes the door and sits down on a chair at the table. “What’s this about, then?”

Louis crosses his arms. “Tell me.”

“Tell you what?” Bob grumbles. 

Louis huffs. “Don’t be fucking daft, Bob, tell me what Corey was smuggling in for you.”

“You shouldn’t worry about that,” Bob says, rolling his eyes. “Corey chose to work for me, and we both know this kind of thing is inevitable in this line of work.”

“Bob,” Louis says firmly, voice cold. “Tell me.”

“Fine,” Bob’s eyes stray down to his hands, where he’s got them crossed on top of the table. “He was smuggling in the T shots.”

“ _ No, _ ” Louis shakes his head, jumping down from the counter. “That can’t be true,  _ no _ .”

“Where did you think they came from?” Bob chuckles out coldly. “Corey is the one who’s been smuggling them into the compound for years.”

“Did my mother know about this?” Louis asks, biting his lip. “She wouldn’t let a teenager smuggle things in for you.”

“She did,” Bob shakes his head. “Your mother was strong, right until the end, didn’t give up any names. She did all of this for you, so don’t start lecturing me.”

“You said Corey’s been doing this for years, how long?” Louis demands. “How fucking  _ long _ , Bob?”

“Four years.”

_ “Four years?” _ Louis exclaims, pacing the floor. “You’ve been making him do this shit since he was  _ sixteen _ ? Are you fucking crazy?”

“He’s an adult now, Louis, he is perfectly capable of making his own decisions,” Bob says, leaning back into his chair and crossing his arms. “He came to  _ me _ , asked me to help.”

“And you let him,” Louis just shakes his head. “His death is on your hands, Bob, just remember that.”

“If you really want to talk about death,” Bob says harshly, looking up at him with a glare. “Then you should consider whose death is on  _ yours _ .”

Louis reels back as if slapped. That’s a low blow, even for Bob. He sighs, going for the door. “You think I don’t blame myself for her death every day?  _ Fuck you _ , Bob.”

\-----

Louis finds his sister easily in the crowd, as she’s on the way back of it. He slides up to her, winding an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her into his side. “Hey, love.”

She startles slightly, but relaxes into his side quickly. "What'd Bob say?"

"Not here," Louis whispers in her ear, looking around at the crowd gathered already.

He can see Corey's mum, standing a few feet away and crying. His heart pangs for her, but he can't say anything.

He can't risk his own secret getting out as well. He's not going to risk his or his sister's safety like that.

There's a loud whistle blowing as the Governor walks onto the makeshift stage in the middle of the square. He's holding a microphone. "Good evening, my people!"

Louis barely refrains from rolling his eyes at that. The Governor smiles, showing all his teeth. "Today we have found another traitor in our midst."

Lottie flinches in his side, burying her face in his shoulder. Louis presses a kiss to her head. He knows that those words have brought back the memory of that day. 

The Governor has his soldiers drag Corey onto the stage, and Louis has to look away.

Corey's all bloody, his nose probably broken, his head is bleeding and his arms are bound in front of his stomach.

Corey lands on the stage with a thud, only semi conscious. The Governor just laughs at the groan that escapes Corey. "Take a good look at Corey, people. This is what happens when you break my rules."

The soldiers bring out the wooden platform, a rope hanging from above it. A shudder goes through his body at the sight, and he just focuses on breathing.

The last time he saw that platform was the day he lost his best friend, his mum. He closes his eyes, focusing on Lottie, running his arm up and down her back as she shakes with quiet sobs.

He opens his eyes in time to see Corey get hanged.

It takes him four long minutes to die. He thrashes for about two of those, and it’s a horrifying sight to see him fight so hard. 

He can hear the loud crying of Corey's mom, and the screaming of Corey's baby brother, and he can't help feeling like this is all his fault.

\------

The next day is somber, quiet. The kids in his classroom are all subdued due to the events of the day before. Louis wants to lift the mood, but he doesn’t know how. 

How does he cheer up a bunch of children after they’ve just seen someone they knew hanged in the middle of the square?

He reaches into his desk drawer, grabbing his ukulele. “Who wants to take a break and have a little singing session?”

Stacey raises her hand. “Can we sing the sun song for him?”

“For Corey?” Louis asks, and Stacey nods. Louis gives her a soft smile. “Of course, love. Let’s sing this for Corey.”

He plays the sunshine song twice, stopping to boop a few children’s noses as he sings  _ you are my sunshine  _ to them.

He knows this won’t make their memory of yesterday feel any better, but it’s something that brings a smile to their faces, and that is accomplishment enough. 

After the last class finishes, he gives each and every child a tight hug or a high five and tells them to be brave, and they all reward him with a smile.

Lottie is sitting in the living room on their ratty old sofa, knitting what looks to be a baby sweater. Louis smiles fondly. "New customer?"

"Yeah," Lottie replies, her hands not stopping the work. "Jade is pregnant."

"I'm happy for her," Louis says, sitting down next to Lottie on the sofa. He leans back, closing his eyes.

It's very exhausting being in this world, and not even knowing anything beyond their little compound.

It's been a hundred years since the radioactive storms started on earth, and the humans moved underground, building compounds below what they called sewers.

He has no idea how many compounds there are, or even if there are any others. Their governor keeps those secrets under lock and key.

All he knows is that the Thieves are a real group, governor-less and free.

Corey had once told him that there is at least one compound out there that he knows of, other than Doncaster, and Louis still believes it.

He's always wanted to know what day and night looks like up there. He wonders if the earth has gotten any better since the humans retreated underground.

These thoughts are illegal to voice, though. To live in the compound he has to be a sheep as they say. He's never even seen a real life sheep, so how could he actually be one?

He shakes himself out of his reverie, getting up from the sofa and pressing a kiss to Lottie's temple. "I'll start dinner."

He's in the middle of heating up the pasta when a note is pushed under the front door. He sighs, picking it up and opening it.

_ Come over  _

_ -Bob _

He rips up the note and throws it in the trash. He finishes up the pasta, adding some salt and pepper.

"Dinner!"

Lottie walks in a couple minutes later. "Pasta again?"

"It's all we have left until next week," Louis says, giving her a sad smile. "We'll get our rations soon."

"I would hope so," Lottie mutters, tucking into her pasta.

Louis eats his own slowly, having grown tired of tasteless food. 

Lottie cleans up her plate before putting it back on the shelf, then walking back into the living room.

Louis grabs a white rag, draping it over his portion to keep it from going bad. He leaves it on the counter. "Lots, I'm going for a walk."

"Okay," Lottie calls back. "Be safe!"

\-----

Louis knocks twice on the door to Bob's pod, waiting patiently for him to open the door.

Bob doesn't say anything as he opens the door wider, letting Louis step inside. Louis makes himself comfortable on Bob's sofa, leaning fully into the comfy cushions. "What's this visit about, then?"

Bob remains standing, leaning to the side in the doorway. "You know, I've put myself in a lot of danger, for  _ years _ , just so you get your shots."

"And I am very grateful for that," Louis replies, just quirking his left eyebrow at him.

"As I was saying," Bob continues, unruffled. "What would you say if I upped my price?"

"What you wanna touch my feet, too?" Louis snarks, and Bob's eyes narrow. Louis swallows thickly, trying not to show the nerves gathering in the pit of his stomach.

"I want more than that."

"Like what?" Louis asks, getting up from the sofa, standing with his arms crossed. "What the fuck do you want from me?"

"Some manners to begin with," Bob huffs, rolling his eyes. "I also want to fuck you. You're old enough now, you look a lot like your mother."

Louis just blinks. "You fucked my mother?"

"We had a bit of an affair, yeah," Bob shrugs. "That was before this whole thing started, you know."

"Why would you want to fuck me, though?" Louis asks, keeping his voice as calm as he can. "I'm a man."

"With a woman's body," Bob replies smartly, taking a step closer.

Louis looks around quickly, just thinking. He looks up, determined. "If you give me  _ all _ of your shots and painkillers, I'll fuck you tonight."

Bob grins, showing all his teeth. Louis swallows the bile threatening to escape. He just smiles back nervously. "I want you to put the shots and pills on the kitchen table, I'll bother you for a cup of water while you go get them."

Bob shrugs and walks into his bedroom. Louis hurries to the kitchen, opening one of the drawers and grabs a small sharp knife. He leans against the counter as he waits.

Bob appears, putting a small bag onto the kitchen table. "It's all there. Join me in the bedroom then?"

Louis smiles sweetly and nods. 

As soon as Bob turns his back, Louis grabs the bag and shoves it in his pants. He waits until they reach the living room to pounce.

He stabs Bob in the side of the neck thrice in rapid succession, and then drops the knife to the floor with a loud clatter.

He runs as quickly as he can out the door and down the compound streets, making it home safely. 

Dropping to the floor as soon as the door closes behind him, he hugs his knees to his chest and cries.

\-----

He doesn't know how long he's been sitting here, leaning against the door and crying. Lottie's in her room, probably sleeping.

He gets up, and just as he does, he gets hit with a bout of nausea so strong that he has to run to the bathroom and let it all out.

Sighing, he gets up, washing out his mouth with two sips of their rationed water. 

Time seems to be going by fast now that he knows what he has to do, the adrenaline coursing through his veins like he's eaten a whole bag of coffee beans.

He grabs his ratty old backpack, the one he'd used for school when he was little, and puts all his shots in it along with some clothes. He only packs the rest of his pasta meal and a box of dry biscuits.

Checking their water pitcher, they don't have enough drinking water for the both of them, so Louis leaves it. He's not taking any from Lottie.

The painkillers all go with Lottie's stash, to make sure she has it and that it lasts her a while. She only needs them when she has her periods, her cramps so debilitating that she can barely get out of bed at times.

There's enough pills to last her a while, maybe even months.

Then he grabs a note and a pencil.

_ Dear Charlotte, _

_ I am so sorry for having to leave you like this, it's the most painful thing I'll ever have to do, but I broke the law tonight. If I don't get gone, I'll end up like mum and Corey. _

_ Bob might be dead because of me, and I'm telling you not to trust him. _

_ I'll be back for you someday. _

_ I love you, _

_ Louis _

He leaves the note with Lottie's pill stash. Then all he can do now is wait for the lights to go out, signalling nighttime.

He lays down on his bed in the living room, staring up at the lights overhead and says a silent goodbye.

\-----

The lights are out at 10 PM sharp, bathing the compound in darkness.

Louis sneaks out of the door, closing it as quietly as he can as to not wake Lottie, and walks towards the entrance of the compound.

Cursing quietly under his breath, Louis hides behind a nearby trash can. There are two soldiers guarding it.

There's not a lot of ways for him to get past them, but he closes his eyes, praying to a god that he doesn't believe in to help him get through this.

He gets up, and tries to put his mock acting skills to good use. It's not hard for him to start crying, breathing shallowly.

He runs up to the soldiers, and stops right in front of them. "Please help me. Bob Halford has been stabbed, I think he's dead."

One of the soldiers draws his gun from its holster. "Where is he?"

"His pod, please hurry!" Louis pretends to go run with them, then stops, watching them run off in the direction of Bob's pod.

He slips out of the heavy compound door.

He can't see anything, it's all dark. 

After blinking a few times, he starts walking towards one of the tunnels. He has no idea if he's going the right way but he needs to start walking right away, before the soldiers realise he's gone and that he's the one who stabbed Bob.

_ Bob _ . He shudders at the thought. He never thought he would be capable of murder, but then again, in the world he lives in its kill or be killed. He'd rather live.

He walks until his legs start aching, and then he walks some more. He walks until he physically cannot take any more steps, which is when he collapses on the tunnel floor, using his backpack as a pillow.

He passes out.

\-----

"-should take him with us"

"What if he's dangerous?"

There's a quiet slap. "Ow, what'd you do that for?"

"Because look at him, he's about as dangerous as your nan!"

Louis wants to open his eyes, but he doesn't want the two men to know he's awake. They've been arguing for a few minutes and Louis would be amused if he wasn't so scared.

"We should take him to Harry," voice number one says. "He'll know what to do. This guy might be hurt."

"He doesn't look hurt," Voice number two replies, but they start heaving Louis up onto the shoulders of one of them.

Louis groans as the joints in his back crack, and the two men freeze. Louis scrambles out of the guy's arms, landing hard on his bum. "Ow."

"Who are you?" Voice number two says. He's got glasses framing his face, and his hair is a blonde shade that seems a bit yellow. It's a shade of hair color Louis hasn't quite seen before. He looks at voice number one, and the man is slightly taller than voice number two, his brown hair short and slightly curly. 

Louis takes one more second to look at them before he replies. "Who are  _ you?" _

"Thieves," The blond one says. The brunette hits him upside the head. "Niall! You can't just say that."

Niall rolls his eyes, reaching a hand down so Louis can grasp it as he heaves himself up from the ground. "So you're from a compound?"

Louis just nods, grabbing his backpack from the floor and putting it on his shoulders. 

Niall gives him a nod. "We understand you're wary of us, but we're not going to hurt you, we promise. Right, Liam?"

"Of course," Liam says, inclining his head in what Louis guesses is supposed to be a nod.

"So you should come with us," Liam says, gesturing down the tunnel. "You'll be safe. Thieves don't succumb to the same rules as the compounds do. We are free."

"Really?" Louis asks skeptically. He follows the men as they start walking, though. "I've heard of the Thieves before, of course, but you've never come to my compound."

"And which compound is that?" Niall asks curiously.

"Doncaster."

Liam and Niall both stop in their tracks, staring at him in shock. "Doncaster?"

"Yeah, why?" Louis keeps walking, wanting to stretch his legs out after having slept on such uncomfortable ground. 

"It's just…" Liam trails off, just staring at him. "That's the most dangerous compound to live in, it's all."

That makes Louis stop. He turns to the two men. "What do you mean?"

"Well you lived there, right?" Niall says, chuckling uncomfortably.

"No, I mean," Louis sighs, starting to walk again. "I mean how is my compound different from other ones."

"You honestly don't know?" Liam shakes his head as he says it, as if the thought of it is shocking. Louis just gives a shrug.

"Your governor has closed you all off from the outside world, for one."

"We were told there isn't really an outside world," Louis starts, biting his lip. "I mean, there were rumors about you Thieves, and of there being other compounds in existence, but we aren't allowed to leave. Ever. Only soldiers get out for their missions, but they've been sworn to secrecy."

"There was a soldier from Doncaster that we knew," Liam says casually. "He visited us on his way to other compounds, traded us some information in exchange for some things he needed. Corey, his name was. You know him?"

Louis stops in his tracks, staring at Liam as he tries to form the words. He can't. He just collapses, sitting on the ground as the tears start running, the memory of Corey's death still so fresh.

"I'm guessing you knew him," Niall whispers, sitting down next to him. 

Louis sniffs, the sound loud in the otherwise quiet tunnel, and he nods into his hands. "He was like family to me. They executed him yesterday."

"What's your name?" Liam asks. "Maybe he talked about you before."

"He might've," Louis replies, the corner of his lips twitching into a barely there smile. "Damn fool was in love with me."

"You're Louis," Niall exclaims, pointing at him and then looking up at Liam. "Bloody hell, Li, this is  _ Louis _ ."

Liam just rolls his eyes playfully at Niall. "I can see that."

Niall gets up from the ground, taking Louis' hand and dragging him up to his feet. "We've heard a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope," Louis mutters. They both nod in lieu of replying.

They're quiet for a while as they walk further down into the tunnel, turning right when they reach a sort of crossroads. 

"So, uhh," Niall clears his throat. "What exactly was Corey killed for?"

"Smuggling."

"The cookies or the… medication?" Liam asks delicately. 

"He was smuggling that medication in for Bob," Louis starts. He looks down at the ground as they walk, the shame piling up in his gut. "It's my fault he's dead, really."

"That's not true," Liam says sharply, narrowing his eyes. "If he was smuggling it for this Bob then it's his fault, not yours."

"The things he was smuggling in," Louis begins, but then he closes his mouth, not sure if he should tell them.

They both nod in understanding though, and Liam pats him on the shoulder. "Still not your fault, mate. We all need painkillers from time to time."

Louis smiles his thanks, pretending that that is indeed what he was talking about. He doesn't know if he can truly trust these guys with every truth, so he settles on being silent as they keep walking.

\----

Liam and Niall lead him to large metal doors, knocking three times on it so hard that the sound echoes through the tunnel.

“Password?” A voice on the other side asks through a loudspeaker, and Liam clears his throat before yelling ‘Kale smoothie’.

Louis blinks. That’s the password?  _ Kale smoothie?  _ He shakes his head, just trying to imagine what kind of person comes up with something like that for a password.

The doors open, loud creaks in the hinges, and as they walk inside, butterflies erupt in Louis’ tummy. 

There are people everywhere, talking, singing,  _ laughing _ , in the middle of the streets. They’re all free, and Louis has to try hard not to gape as a woman with  _ purple hair _ walks past him. “What is this place?”

“Welcome to the Den of Thieves,” Niall exclaims, gesturing around them with a bow. Liam chuckles at the antics, and they lead Louis to the square, where a large fountain is. It’s a statue of a man holding a sword, and out of the sword comes a steady stream of water. It’s the most amount of water Louis has ever seen in one place, and he runs up to it, dipping a finger in it. It’s ice cold, and he smiles, dipping his entire hand in it and moving it.

“Don’t drink it though,” Liam says, sitting down on the edge of it. 

Louis looks up, keeping his hand in the water. “Why?”

“It’s not clean water, this is just what comes from the sewers, so you shouldn’t really be putting your hands in it either.” 

“What are sewers?” Louis asks, quirking his head, still keeping playing around with the water. "I've heard the word, that it's above us, but never really known  _ what _ it is."

“Right, Doncaster,” Liam mutters to himself. Then he looks up at him. “The sewers are what used to be full of water that came from the toilets, so water full of piss and shit, essentially.”

“Gross,” Louis says, wrinkling his nose as he removes his hand from the fountain. “Is there anywhere I can clean my hands?”

Liam smiles, gesturing for Louis to follow him, and he does.

They arrive at a weird pod, with a red door and blue walls made of… wood? Louis has never seen any pod that looks like this, for one it’s a lot bigger than the one he lived in with Lottie. 

Liam opens the door, leading him inside to a hallway, and Liam takes his shoes off, putting them on the tiny carpet square to the side. Louis copies him. 

“Babe, you home?” Liam calls as he walks deeper into the pod, and Louis just stays silent, following his steps. Liam gestures to a door. “Go in there, wash your hands.”

Louis walks inside, and sees a sink. He’s never seen a sink that looks like this, all white and pristine, not made of metal. This material is different, sorta like a.. Stone? He touches it, and it’s smooth. He tries pushing the sink clasp up, and water steams out of it. He pushes his hands under it, closing his eyes as he feels the warm water on his skin. He notices the hand soap and grabs it, using it to clean his hands thoroughly. 

There’s a towel hanging next to the sink, and Louis uses it to dry his hands. Then he walks out of the room. He follows the sound of Liam’s voice, walking into a living room. There are two sofas and a device he’s never seen before. 

Liam hasn’t noticed him yet, talking to his friend, who's drying his hands on a white rag, his hands yellow and blue. Liam reaches up, cupping the other man’s face and dragging him into a soft kiss. 

Louis can’t contain the gasp. The two men startle, and Liam’s friend looks up from the kiss, his eyebrows raising up in what Louis guesses is confusion. “Who’s your friend, babe?”

“You-” Louis swallows thickly. “Aren’t you scared of getting caught?”

“What do you mean?” Liam asks. He gestures for Louis to sit down on the sofa, and Louis lets himself drop heavily into it. 

“What you were just doing is illegal,” Louis says, running a hand through his hair. “So why do you do it?”

“You mean why do I kiss my husband?” Liam asks. He looks up, making eye contact with his husband. 

His husband gives him a nod before leaving the room, and Louis somehow breathes a little easier with him gone. “Husband?”

“We are married, yes,” Liam replies. He sighs, stroking his stubble. “Your compound sounds scarier every time you speak.”

“You’re telling me that…” Louis trails off, looking down at his hands. He gathers some courage, because if Liam is different, and he kisses men, and is married to one, then Louis must be able to ask. “You’re telling me that being different here isn’t illegal?”

“ _ No!” _ Liam exclaims, before taking a breath and calming himself down. “Here, everyone's free to be whoever they are, no matter what. Within reason, of course, you can’t be a murderer, or summat like that.”

Louis starts laughing until he starts crying. “I guess I’ll have to leave.”

“What do you mean?” Liam asks, all concerned and trusting and Louis can’t help it. He lets the truth flow out until he’s too drained to speak any more. 

After he’s told Liam everything, he gets up from the sofa. “Come on.”

“Where?” Louis asks, biting his lip. 

“It’s time for you to meet Harry.”

\-----

Liam leads him all the way to the other side of the compound, and Louis is still getting bombarded with things he's never seen before.

A lesbian couple strolling down the street holding hands, one of the women with short pink hair.

An old man in a chair with wheels on them. A little girl skipping rope while singing happily with her little brother.

A man wearing a short sleeved shirt, and his arms are full of  _ pictures _ .

He doesn't comment on any of it though, it's like he just needs some time to take it all in.

Liam knocks on a dark yellow door, stepping back while he waits. Louis bounces anxiously on his feet.

The door opens, and Niall is in the doorway. Louis hadn't even realised he was gone, and he just blinks. 

"I've filled Harry in," Niall says smiling, opening the door wider to let them in.

They take off their shoes in the doorway, just like at Liam's pod earlier and line them neatly on a small wooden shelf.

Niall leads them into the living room, where the light is slightly dimmed, only a lamp lighting up the room. Louis looks up at the sky, and startles at the sight.

There's a ceiling on this pod. That's how the room is able to be dim. He swallows thickly before bringing his attention back to the room.

A man steps in through a doorway to the left, walking towards him. 

Louis has to contain the gasp. He is barely able to. The man is  _ gorgeous _ .

He's tall, definitely a few inches taller than himself, and his hair is long and curly, reaching down to his neck. He's got green eyes, and a dimple on his chubby cheek. He's wearing a long sleeved white shirt, the material tight on his body. His stomach pools out a tiny bit at the bottom of the shirt, giving Louis a little sneak peak to the hairs leading down into his trousers.

Louis snaps his eyes back up to the man's face, his cheeks heating up. The man doesn't seem to notice, reaching out a hand. "Louis, I'm guessing?"

_ Oh god _ , Louis thinks.  _ His voice is so deep. _

"Yeah, I'm Louis," he says, shaking his hand, not letting go for a second too long before pulling his hand back too fast. He laughs nervously, looking down at his feet.

“I’m Harry,” he replies, giving Louis a charming smile. “I’m making tea, you want some?”

“ _ Tea _ ?” Louis’ eyes widen. “You have tea here?”

Harry chuckles. “Of course, I’ll make you a cuppa.”

“Thank you,” Louis says, tearing up. He sniffs, sitting down on one of the sofas. “I’ve not had tea for  _ years _ , this is the best day of my life.”

Liam gives a smile, squeezing his shoulder in support. “Well, now you can have as much tea as you want.”

“But where did you get it?” Louis asks, looking up at Harry. “How?”

“That’s a secret,” Harry replies. He gives Niall a look, and Niall follows him when they disappear into what Louis guesses is the kitchen, leaving Louis alone with Liam on the sofa. 

Louis points at the big device thing in front of him. “What is that? I feel like i’ve seen it somewhere before but, I can’t remember where.”

“You don’t have TV’s?” Liam exclaims, then sighs. “Of course you don’t have fucking TV’s. Your compound is fucking barbaric, mate.”

Louis just shrugs. He’s heard of TV’s before, but their compound doesn’t have one as far as he knows. He just leans into the sofa, resting his head on the cushion behind him and closes his eyes. 

Harry and Niall walk in, and Louis opens his eyes, leaning forward as he reaches for the cup that’s handed to him. He takes a minute to just enjoy holding it, the warmth of it seeping into his palms. He inhales it, smelling chamomile, and he can’t help the smile that reaches his face. This was his mum’s favourite tea. 

He takes a delicate sip, not swallowing it yet, just tasting. 

After he finally swallows it, he takes another slow sip, just enjoying this warmth that’s enveloped him. 

When he opens his eyes again, there’s three pairs of eyes staring at him. “What?”

“I never knew drinking tea was such a religious experience,” Niall remarks, taking a sip from his own cup.

“After the last few days I’ve had,” Louis begins, lifting his cup in indication of it. “Anything like this is a religious experience.”

“Speaking of,” Liam gets up from his seat, putting his cup on the table only half full. “Me and Niall should get going, leave you two to it.”

“Wait, you’re leaving me?” Louis asks, looking up at Liam with what he hopes is his best puppy face. Liam just ruffles his hair, making Louis huff in annoyance. 

“You’re a big boy,” Liam chuckles. “Plus, Harry doesn’t bite.”

“Not unless you’re into that sorta thing,” Harry cuts in, smiling ruefully.

Louis chokes on his tea. 

Niall pats him on the back until he’s caught his breath again. “See you later, man.”

Then he’s left alone with a man who quite literally might have his fate in his hands.

As soon as the front door is shut behind the boys, Harry asks to sit down next to him, and Louis gives a nervous nod. 

Harry smiles warmly, pointing to his cup. “You want more tea?”

“Are you sure?” Louis asks, handing Harry his cup. Harry takes the cup and disappears into the kitchen for a few minutes, leaving him alone in the living room to think.

Harry hands him a warm mug, and Louis immediately takes a sip. “This tea reminds me so much of my mother.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Louis takes another sip. “It’s her favourite flavour. She used to have it any time she could before our compound ran out of it.”

“You ran out of tea?” Harry asks skeptically. 

Louis nods, taking another sip. “A few years ago, yeah.”

Harry shakes his head, and Louis stays silent, not sure how this is going to go for him, whether he’ll be lucky enough to stay.

“Listen, Louis,” Harry begins, leaning forward. “This compound runs a bit differently than. others, for one, we’re a democracy.”

“A democracy?” Louis swallows, trying to get his head around it. “I’ve heard of that but… didn’t think it was possible.”

“It is,” Harry says, smiling slightly. “I honestly didn’t plan to be a leader, but it turns out I just had the best ideas. Liam put my name in the race without me knowing, to be honest with you.”

“What are the rules here?” 

“Well…” Harry smiles. “It’s respect, love and kindness.”

“That’s it?” 

“Mostly,” Harry takes a sip from his mug. “The rules are simple. I don’t condone violence of any kind, everyone deserves to live, and everyone has to do their part. Most of my people are happy here, as they’re from other compounds, like yours.”

“When you say violence of any kind,” Louis starts before stopping, looking down at his mug. He clears his throat, taking a sip. “What do you think about self defence?”

“It depends on the situation, of course,” Harry says. “Your past is your past, it’s not my concern what you did to get out of your compound. Niall, before he came here, had to do some very bad stuff just to get out of his situation, same with Zayn.”

“And Liam?” Louis asks curiously. 

Harry chuckles slightly. “Me and Liam grew up here. His father was the leader before me, my mother was his father’s best friend. We’ve been friends since we were in nappies.”

“Oh,” Louis wants to envy him, wants to be the one to grow up in such a free environment, but if he grew up here, he wouldn’t be who he is. He puts his mug on the table before regarding Harry with determination in his eyes. “I want to stay.”

“You’re welcome to,” Harry replies, his smile widening, a dimple appearing in both of his cheeks. Louis sort of wants to poke them, to see if they’re as deep as they look. He shakes the thought off. 

“What do I have to do?” Louis asks, leaning forward in his seat, eager to stay and do his part. 

Harry chuckles. “Nothing yet. For now, I just want to know what you need to stay. Niall said you might need some painkillers, we have some for you.”

“I don’t need painkillers,” Louis confesses. He looks down at his hands, playing around with his fingers. “I have enough to last the week in my backpack, but after that... and you can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.”

“Of course not,” Harry agrees. He grabs one of Louis’ hands gently. “In order to be a fair leader, I know quite a bit of secrets and I have never and  _ will never _ , tell anyone, unless it’s a need to know situation.”

Louis lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I need hormones. Testosterone to be exact.”

“You’re…?” 

“I’m a boy,” Louis says firmly. “But I don’t have certain… parts.”

“I get what you mean.”

"You do?" Louis asks, leaning slightly forward. Harry just gives him a nod and a soft smile.

"How about I give you a tour of the compound?"

Louis smiles, a wide and genuine smile. "I thought you'd never ask."

\-----

"So what did you do at your old compound?" Harry asks. They've walked through most of the Thieves compound, and Harry's shown him everything they could think of. They're walking back to Harry's pod.

"I was a teacher," Louis replies. He looks down at his shoes as he walks. "I already miss the kids. They're the best thing in this world."

"Yeah, I agree," Harry smiles softly. "I've always wanted kids, but that's a bit hard when you're gay."

"I would imagine so," Louis chuckles. So Harry's gay. He feels his cheeks heat up at the thought, and he knows he's already fucked with this crush he's developing.

"I'll see if you can get a job with the kids," Harry says, then stops. "Wait, um, is there any chance you're good with babies?"

"You mean like toddlers?"

"No, I mean newborns," Then he shrugs and adds, "And toddlers."

"Yeah," Louis smiles, thinking back to all of the babies he'd helped with back at his old compound. "Before my mum was forced to become a teacher, she was one of the compound's midwives. I helped her out on occasion."

"Why'd they make her stop?" Harry asks curiously. Louis stops walking, sighing down at his shoes before looking up at Harry.

"She helped women escape," Louis starts walking again, and Harry hums to show he's listening. "Some women in our compound don't want children but abortion is illegal, my mother helped them escape to other compounds. They wanted to execute her but they didn't, I have no idea why. They just forced her into teaching instead."

"Your mother sounds like she was a brave woman," Harry says softly. "I think I have a job for you."

\-----

The next day, Louis wakes up on Harry’s couch to the smell of breakfast being made.

He walks into the kitchen and sees Harry whisking something in a steaming pot, wearing nothing but tiny, tiny yellow shorts that show off his very, very full ass and thick thighs. Harry doesn’t notice him, busy adding some things into the pot as he hums under his breath. Louis lets his eyes trail up to Harry’s arms and shoulders, and his wonderful back. He wants to touch his back rolls, wants to know if they're as soft as they look. 

His skin is littered with pictures. Louis clears his throat, leaning in the doorway. Harry looks up, giving a wide smile. “Good morning, Louis. Sit down, please.”

Louis smiles back, his cheeks heating up. Harry truly is a vision, and he hopes that he’s not blatantly obvious with his staring. Louis gasps quietly when Harry turns around fully, his shirtless chest and belly on full display. A picture of a butterfly sits on top of his belly, slightly curved like it’s been there since before Harry got bigger, and Louis has to lick his lips. 

Harry doesn’t seem to notice as he just puts a bowl in front of Louis before adding a spoon. “Eat up, Louis, breakfast is very important.”

“Okay,” Louis says, taking the bowl. It’s oatmeal, but it actually looks appetising, and it smells better than any oatmeal Louis as ever had. He takes a cautious bite of it, and almost moans. It’s so good. Harry sits down across from him, assaulting Louis with the sight of his belly rolls. Louis actually does moan with his next bite, but not because of the food.

He blushes, looking away before he takes another bite. “I like your pictures.”

Harry smiles as he takes a bite of his oatmeal. “Thanks, I forgot they were here.”

“No, I mean…” Louis chuckles slightly, pointing to Harry’s skin. “I meant your pictures, on your skin. Do you have to put them on everyday?”

“You mean my tattoos?” Harry asks, his eyebrows raising up in confusion. 

“Tattoos?” Louis repeats, but his accent makes it sound like ‘ta’oohs’. “What are those?”

“It’s art that you put on your skin forever,” Harry explains. “You use ink and a needle.”

“Doesn’t that hurt?” 

Harry laughs, loud and bright. “You truly are something, Louis.”

Louis shrugs and continues with his breakfast.

After Harry gets dressed, they leave for whatever job Louis is supposedly getting. Harry explains the concept behind tattoos to him on the way there, and Louis can’t help but be captivated by the idea of it. 

He’s never seen one before, nor heard of it. His compound didn’t have them, for a reason unbeknownst to him. 

Harry explains the meaning behind some of his tattoos, and Louis rolls his eyes at some of the puns Harry is so proud of. The butterfly on his stomach, the heart on his sleeve, the tiger on his thigh that he calls a thigher. 

He sort of wants to kiss him on every tattoo, but he knows those are thoughts he shouldn’t be having on his second day of knowing him. 

They arrive in front of a two storey pod, Harry stopping him at the door. “So, this is a daycare. Some people want to start working earlier, some people just need a break from parenting for a few hours, so they bring their kids here.”

“How old are the kids here?” Louis asks. 

“All ages really,” Harry opens the door and leads him to a room upstairs, waving at people on the way. When they enter the room, a heavily pregnant woman is soothing a crying baby, Louis guesses the little one is no more than eight months old. “Hello, Monica.”

“Hey, Harry,” Monica smiles thankfully when Harry takes the baby from her arms. “Go to lunch, Monica, and when you get back I’ll introduce you both better.”

“Thank you,” Monica smiles in relief, kissing Harry’s cheek briefly before leaving the room with only a slight wave in Louis’ direction. 

Harry takes a few minutes to soothe the baby in his arms, humming under his breath as he rubs their back. The baby calms down rather quickly, settling down with their head on Harry’s shoulder. 

“It’s naptime, so I’ll just put this one in his cot and then I’ll show you around, okay?”

Louis nods, and Harry disappears out the room through a door on the other side. Louis looks around, noticing the array of toys littering the floor, the art and the letters of the alphabet on the wall in colorful shapes. 

On another wall are pictures of babies with names and ages below, and Louis smiles as he stares at them. There are six pictures in total, and the babies are all under the age of one. 

Harry walks in a few minutes later, immediately starting to tidy the space up a bit. Louis helps him, and soon enough all the toys are back on the shelves.

They sit down on a small mattress in the corner of the room, some pillows behind their backs. "Monica shouldn't be working so much. She's eight months along, I want her to go on leave as soon as possible."

"So you want me to work here in her place?" Louis asks. 

Harry gives a nod. "Yeah. You would basically just be taking care of the babies here during the day. The daycare is open until four p.m."

Louis takes a minute, just to think. Harry doesn’t seem to mind, just kicks back and leans into the wall, closing his eyes calmly. Louis has always loved kids, especially babies, and he hasn’t met a baby for years now, not since before his mother was made a teacher. 

“I’ll do it,” Louis decides, smiling nervously. “What are the rules here?”

“Rules?” Harry asks, raising a brow. 

Louis nods. “Like… at what point do I contact you?”

“What do you mean?”

Louis looks down at his hands, not quite knowing how to say it. He has a feeling that he shouldn’t even have to ask, since the people in this compound seem to be very happy, and very free. They won’t have to follow the same protocol his mother was supposed have followed.

“Nothing,” Louis mutters, instead he smiles. “Will I only care for the babies? Or will I take care of anyone older?”

“You might have to go to one of the rooms for the older kids, but most of your time will be here,” Harry explains. He gets up, giving Louis a hand that he takes, allowing Harry to help him up off the floor.

Harry shows him a small room with two changing tables and the tiny shelves for each baby. “You know how to change a diaper?” 

“I might be a little rusty, but yes,” Louis replies. Harry then shows him where all the things they could possibly need for the babies are, including art supplies, puzzles, toy animals, books and small jars with what looks like some sort of fruit mixture. He then shows him the room where the babies sleep, each in their own cot. 

“That’s it, basically,” Harry says when they’re back in the main room, making jazz hands. 

Louis chuckles. “Thanks for the tour, then, boss.”

A wail from the sleeping room sounds, and Harry walks inside the room, picking up the baby and walking back into the main room. The baby holds onto him tightly, and Louis walks closer, making eye contact with the baby. “Hello, sweetie, did you have a good nap?”

The baby just blinks up at him. Harry kisses their head. “This is Anna. she is ten months.”

“Wow,” Louis fake-yells, grabbing one of Anna’s hands softly. “Hello, Anna, I’m Louis, I’m gonna be your new friend.”

Anna babbles into her fist, drool going down her arm. Louis chuckles, booping her nose. “She’s beautiful.”

Harry nods, kissing her head. “She loves me.”

“I can tell,” Louis says, pointing to where her other hand clutches tightly at Harry’s shirt. 

They spend time playing with Anna until Monica comes back. She picks Anna up, setting her comfortably on her side. “Is she the only one awake?”

“Monica, you have about fifteen minuets left of your break,” Harry replies, his eyes disapproving. 

Monica laughs. “I want as much time with my babies as I can get before I go on leave next week. This my replacement?”

She gestures at Louis. Harry puts an arm around Louis’ shoulders. “Yep, this is Louis. He’s from Doncaster, and he was a teacher back there.”

“Good, we need more people here,” Monica says, smiling, offering Louis her hand to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Louis.”

Louis shakes it. “Nice to meet you, too.”

They stay with Monica for a few more minutes before they leave. 

Louis has a feeling he’s going to really like it here, and he convinces himself it has nothing to do with the big attractive leader standing next to him. 

\-----

A month went by quickly.

He’s bonded with the babies and a few of their parents. He bonds the most with a little boy named Harrison. 

He and Harrison are almost attached at the hip, and Louis knows he would do anything for this little boy. The boy’s first steps were towards Louis’ arms, and he had praised him with kisses and hugs for the rest of the day. 

They’d refrained from telling the boy’s parents about the steps, as they knew they’d be sad to miss it, and he knew it had been the right decision when Harrison’s mother, Leigh-Anne, had bragged about her little boy’s first steps the next day, proud tears in her eyes as she let Harrison walk slowly into Louis’ arms. 

He still stayed on Harry’s sofa, but he didn’t mind that.

Living with Harry is the happiest he’s been in forever. He misses his sister, but that’s the only thing he misses from Doncaster, and he never wants to go back. 

He knows he promised his sister he’d be back for her some day, and he will, when he’s ready.

Harry cooks him dinner every night, and breakfast every morning, and even packs him lunch some days before Louis leaves for work. 

It’s a very domestic thing to do, and every day Louis just wants to kiss Harry, the urge getting stronger and stronger. 

Every time Harry gets out of the shower, hair wet and loose around his head, a towel around his waist barely hiding his upper thighs, his soft tummy on full display, curving down slightly over the towel, shamelessly walking to his bedroom. Louis always ends up looking away, feeling so hot under his clothes and so thirsty he downs a glass of water as soon as Harry’s out of sight. 

Harry keeps telling him, every few days, that he’s still working on finding him a place to stay, and Louis has a strong suspicion that it’s an empty promise, that Harry wants him to stay as much as Louis does.

So he never mentions it, letting their routines mesh together throughout the month, getting closer and closer to giving into his crush. 

He doesn’t though.

He’s content to let things go on like this, waking up in the morning to a warm cup of tea on the coffee table, seeing Harry in the kitchen making oatmeal in just his small shorts. He doesn’t know why Harry insists on wearing minimal clothing so much of the time, but he’s not complaining. He just enjoys the view. 

\-----

Louis wakes up to the smell of Chamomile tea and he smiles, sitting up slowly before reaching for the mug and taking a sip. It’s perfect, as always.

He can taste the honey Harry’s sneaked into it and just rolls his eyes fondly. He had a cold yesterday and had to stay home for the sake of the babies, not wanting to get them sick as they’re still so young. 

Harry walks out of the kitchen, putting a bowl of soup in front of him. “Eat this, please.”

Louis quirks an eyebrow. “You know I’m feeling a lot better, I can go to work.”

“I would hope so,” Harry smiles, leaning in the doorway. “Harrison was so cranky yesterday, cried when he realised you weren’t coming.”

“That kid is so dramatic,” Louis chuckles, though there is a pang in his chest of how miserable Harrison was without him. “I love that kid.”

“He loves you, too,” Harry says before disappearing back into the kitchen. He’s wearing clothes this morning, and Louis is only a little disappointed. Okay, a lot.

He eats his delicious soup before getting dressed, putting on some joggers and a short sleeved shirt. It gets very warm when you’re working with babies and toddlers, always running after them or holding them or changing diapers. 

Harry gives him a bag with lunch, dragging him into a sideways hug. “Good luck at work, give poor Harrison a good hug when you get there.”

“Of course,” Louis replies, his cheeks heating up. His arms don’t reach all the way around Harry, and it always makes him feel warm, wanting to be enveloped in Harry’s strong arms. He steps outside, hoping that Harry hadn’t noticed his blush. 

Harrison almost starts crying with joy when he notices Louis walk into the room, and gets up from his place on the play mat so fast that he falls right back down onto his bum. Louis laughs, reaching his favourite boy and giving him so many kisses all over his face that Harrison ends up pushing him away with giggles escaping him. 

Louis sits down next to him on the floor, his feet crossed and little Matilda crawls right into his arms, smiling so widely up at him it shows the only tooth she has. He gives her a kiss on the nose and let’s her situate herself in his lap with her toy book. 

His coworker, Lewis, walks out of the diaper room, smiling when he sees him. “Louis, good to have you today, we missed you yesterday.”

“Thanks,” Louis chuckles as Theo crawls right into his arms, demanding a hug. “I missed these little ones a lot as well. How was yesterday?”

“We only got these three yesterday, but I reckon Eva will come today,” Lewis says, walking back into the diaper room briefly, Louis guesses it’s to wash his hands. 

He truly enjoys this job a lot. Loves the babies with his whole entire heart, gives them his everything. 

Theo gives him a kiss on the cheek, leaving a big amount of drool all the way down to Louis’ chin, but he just wipes it off with his hand, smiling down at Theo. “Good to see you, too, my love.”

Theo claps his hand before shoving a fist into his mouth. Louis just laughs. “Hands are the best food nowadays, I see.”

Harrison toddles over to him, climbing over Theo in a way that almost pushes Theo off his lap, Louis rights him quickly, making it so that both boys can sit in his lap.

Harrison smiles happily when he's situated and Louis knows this is gonna be a very good day.

\-----

He's halfway home when he gets stopped by a frantic Liam. "You can't go to Harry's right now."

Louis raises an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Doncaster soldiers," Liam replies, grabbing Louis' arm and dragging him into a small alley. "They're searching for you."

"I'm not scared of Donny soldiers," Louis says, walking out of the alley towards Harry's pod. He hears Liam groan behind him as he follows.

He hides below the window of the pod, and he's happy that the window is open. He can listen in.

The soldiers seem to be enjoying some small talk as Harry makes them some coffee.

Liam stands next to him, pouting, showing his disappointment. Louis rolls his eyes at him.

He perks up when they finally start talking juicy details.

"-very dangerous," One of the soldiers say, and Louis can recognise his voice. It's a friend of Corey's, Louis thinks his name is John.

"Dangerous?" Harry asks skeptically. "Dangerous how?"

"He's wanted for attempted murder and treason," John replies, voice firm.

"Attempted?" Louis whispers. Liam shushes him quickly. 

Bob is alive? How is that possible? Louis stabbed him  _ three times _ . In the  _ neck _ . There was so much blood that Louis thought he'd have been dead pretty soon after he escaped.

"-his sister is a suspect as well," John is saying when Louis tunes back in, and he gasps. He looks up at Liam, and then he moves towards the front door.

Just as he's about to take hold of the doorknob, Liam grabs him from behind, covering his mouth with his hand and dragging him towards the back of the pod.

He removes his hand when they're there, but doesn't let him go. Louis knows better than to struggle, so he just relaxes into Liam's arms.

They stay there in the yard for a while, and Louis is considering fighting his way out of Liam’s arms to demand answers from those soldiers. He needs to know what bullshit they suspect his sister for. 

Harry comes out of the pod, and Liam lets him go. 

Louis marches into the house without a word, and immediately finds his backpack. He starts packing, putting in some clothes before walking into the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle and filling it. 

Harry follows him, his eyes full of confusion. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going back.” 

“No, you’re  _ not _ ,” Harry snaps, grabbing the bag out of Louis’ hands. 

“Yes,” Louis replies, the irritation bubbling under his skin. “I’m fucking going. I’m going back for my sister.” And  _ I’m going to fucking kill bob _ , he adds in his mind.

“Louis, they’ll kill you,” Harry says softly, and Louis looks up at him, seeing the way Harry’s eyes are filled with worry, the way his jaw is clenched. 

“Then I’ll get my sister out first,” Louis replies, snatching his bag from Harry’s hands. 

“Okay,” Harry grabs his arm tightly. “Then I’m going with you. Wait here, I’m gonna get my stuff together.”

\-----

Harry's been gone for about an hour, and Louis is just about ready to crawl out of his skin with the need to get going already.

He wants to leave. He's itching to save his sister, itching to know what's been going on in her life since he had to leave.

He wonders if he's the reason for her danger. 

Harry walks in through the door, his hair ruffled and his skin sweaty. He puts a bag down heavily on the ground at the door. "I'll take a shower. Then we can go."

"Okay," Louis replies. "What took you so long?"

"We can't go save anyone without being properly protected," Harry explains, reaching into the bag and grabbing some sort of vest. He throws it on Louis' lap. "Put this on under your jacket."

Harry disappears into the bathroom before Louis can ask what purpose this vest has, but he does what Harry told him.

If Harry thinks this vest will help him in some way then he'll wear it.

He puts his jacket on over the vest, sitting down on the sofa again while he waits.

Harry's out of the shower five minutes later, skin and hair wet, the big towel around his waist.

Louis has to look away. He bites his lip as his eyes stray to Harry's back as he disappears into his bedroom.

He shakes himself out of it. He has to think of his sister. 

There's no way he's not getting his sister out of that place. Now that he knows what it's like to be happy, to live in a place for the people instead of a place for only the leaders.

So he sits and waits for Harry to get ready.

\-----

They’ve been walking for a while, around five hours, Louis thinks.

“How far is it?” Louis asks. 

“A bit far yet,” Harry replies curtly. Louis has asked about 5 times already, but he hates this jittery feeling under his skin. Anticipation, probably.

So Louis stays silent. 

Harry’s a bit cranky, and Louis feels he can’t really blame him, as they’ve both not eaten for the entire time they’ve been walking, and they’re sweaty and tired and pumped full of pre-fight anxiety and adrenaline.

Or at least he is. 

He really hopes this works out. He wants to be able to show The Thieves Den to his sister, introduce her to Liam’s mum so she can help her out with the clothes, as Lottie really does enjoy making clothing. 

Harry’s walking a tiny bit ahead of him, his steps wider than Louis’ as his legs are longer. 

His back is drenched in sweat, and he’s just in his short sleeve shirt, his jumper tied around his middle. The shirt is sticking to his back, leaving nothing to the imagination, and Louis sort of wants to just jump his bones. 

He doesn’t though, as they’re on a serious mission and they shouldn’t get distracted.

Although Louis is plenty distracted by the sight in front of him.

He would probably be staring at Harry’s bum if it weren’t for the jumper obscuring it from view, Louis thinks sadly.

He catches up to Harry after a while, giving him a small smile. Harry smiles back.

After seven hours of walking, they finally stop to eat and rest.

Louis starts shivering after a while, and he tries to hide his shaking hands in his pockets.

Harry notices, though. Lifting his arms he says "come here, Lou."

Louis doesn't need to be told twice and cuddles up to Harry's side. Harry rubs his hand up and down his arm to warm him up, and Louis definitely does warm up.

Harry smells like sweat and something utterly him, a bit like vanilla, although he'd call it a little bitter.

He hopes Harry doesn't notice that he's discreetly smelling him, leaning his face into the side of his chest. 

They fall asleep like that, Harry's arm warm around his shoulder with Louis cuddling into his chest, an arm around his soft stomach. 

\-----

Harry knocks hard on the gate, making it echo through the air. Louis shifts nervously on his feet. 

He just hopes that this plan works, because if not, it’ll go to shit and they’ll both die. 

The gate opens, and Louis is relieved to see that the soldiers are Corey’s older brother, Sam, and someone else he doesn’t remember the name of at that moment.

Sam narrows his eyes. “Louis. I see you’ve been caught.”

“Maybe so,” Louis replies coldly. 

Harry slaps him on the arm, not too hard to hurt too much, and Louis huffs. “How many times have I told you to shut the fuck up?”

“And how many times have I told you to get fucked?” Louis retorts. 

Sam hauls him inside the gate, Harry calmly following in after. “How’d you catch him?”

“He was hiding in my compound,” Harry replies, giving Louis a cold look. Louis almost laughs but manages to hide it with a cough. Harry looks like an angry lizard.

Then Harry winks at him. The sign. They both strike at the same time. Harry’s punch is hard, and the soldier goes down quickly. Louis has only just managed to punch Sam in the throat, and Sam manages to punch back. 

Harry is quick to take him down as well, making him go to sleep in a hard chokehold. “We should inject them now so they don’t wake up for the next couple hours.” 

Louis nods, taking the needles from Harry’s hands. He injects the serum into the neck of both soldiers, slow and steadily.

Harry would’ve done it himself, but they both know Louis is the better one when it comes to needles. They freak Harry out a bit, and he always has to leave the room when Louis injects himself with the T shots. 

They strip off Sam’s clothes, and Louis sighs sadly when he tugs Sam’s pants off. “I’m sorry for this.” 

He dresses himself in Sam’s soldier’s uniform. He also steals Sam’s gun, and he doesn’t understand how Sam hadn’t drawn his gun earlier when they arrived, or when they attacked. 

They move quickly through the streets, hiding in corners and breathing quietly. 

When they reach Louis’ old pod, he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening the door. 

Lottie is there, sleeping in Louis’ old bed in the living room. 

“I knew you’d come back for her if you heard of her possible arrest,” comes Bob’s smug voice, and Louis freezes. 

Bob is sitting on the armchair in the corner, holding a beer. His neck has three scars, three jagged ugly red lines on the side. Louis feels quite proud of himself for having put them there. 

“And who is this?” Bob asks when he notices Harry. “Your new dealer?”

“No,” Louis says. He keeps his voice quiet, as to not wake Lottie yet. “He’s my friend. A close friend. He treats me better than you ever did.”

“So you mean to tell me you’ve slept with  _ him _ over  _ me _ ?” Bob sneers, his face twisting in distaste as he stares at Harry. Louis ignores it. 

“He never forced me to show him my feet,” Louis replies matter of factly, folding his arms across his chest. “He never tried to bargain for my virginity.”

“Bargain?” Bob laughs, a cold laugh that brings goose bumps to Louis’ skin. “I never bargained with you for it. I  _ deserved _ it.”

“Like you deserved wanking off to the sight of my feet? Making me feel dirty? Throwing my mother’s death in my face?” Louis just rolls his eyes, sighing. “Now, let’s hurry this along, I’d rather get my sister home.”

Bob ignores him, turning to look at Harry. “Tell me, is he as feisty in bed as he is out of it?”

“You wish you knew,” Louis cut in before Harry could answer. “Tell me, Bob, how does your neck feel?”

Bob’s hand went up to his neck, stroking the scars softly. “I would have liked to get a taste before you cut me, but it is what it is. If you fuck me now, I’ll let you go with your sister, tell them she escaped. You were never here.”

Harry lunges forward then, punching Bob so hard in the face that a crack sounds through the room. He punches again, and this time Bob cries out in pain. 

Lottie gasps awake, looking around in fright before she sees him. Her eyes fill with tears as she scrambles from the bed, straight into his arms. “Louis!”

Louis stokes his fingers through her hair and savors the smell of her. He’s missed her so much. He takes her hand before turning back towards the fight, where Bob is whispering something as Harry’s hands try to choke him. 

“Don’t ever say his name again,” Harry growls back, his spit landing on Bob’s cheek. “You should treat the man I love with some respect.”

He lands one more punch, effectively knocking Bob right out. 

Louis stands in shock as Harry wipes the blood off his face and hands into his shirt, grimacing. 

He startles as he notices Louis, as if he forgot he was there. “Lou-”

Louis runs into his arms, grabs his face, and drags him into a kiss. He pours everything into it, letting Harry know just how much he appreciates him. Harry kisses back just as hard, his hands holding onto Louis’ waist softly.

He pulls back, takes Harry’s hand and then Lottie’s and drags them both out of the pod.

They need to get out of Doncaster as soon as possible. 

\-----

Hiding in the shadows, they stay quiet as they sneak towards the gate.

He is walking first, holding Lottie's hand tightly.

His heart is in his throat, his nerves shot as he tries to remain calm. 

As they get closer and closer to the gate, the more he wants to run and hide.

He can just feel that something isn't right.

The feeling proves right when he finally sets sights on the gate. " _ Fuck _ ."

"What?" Lottie whispers, trying to see but Louis pushes her to the wall. 

"The gate is swarmed with soldiers."

"Shit," Harry whispers. They take a moment to breathe.

Louis knows what he has to do. He needs his sister to get out, to be free of this shitty place, where painkillers are given freely to those who need them.

"Okay, I have a plan," Louis says quietly, his tone filled with determination. He kisses Lottie on the forehead. "I love you."

Then he turns to Harry, dragging him into a tight hug. He kisses his cheek before whispering to him. "You have to  _ run _ ."

"What?" Harry makes to grab his arm, but Louis is too quick. He runs.

He runs as fast as he can around some of the pods before appearing on another street corner. He pretends to fall with a loud curse, successfully getting the attention of all the soldiers.

Scrambling to his feet, he runs further away from Lottie and Harry's direction.

The soldiers all start running after him, and he smiles as he runs, knowing that he's providing enough distraction for them to escape.

Then he looks back as he runs, and sees the gate close behind the soldier's heads, and lets himself fall to the ground.

The soldiers arrest him, dragging him away from the chaos.

Louis is not surprised at the lack of interest the people of Doncaster show at the ruckus.

Being nosy in this place can get you punished. Or worse, killed.

After they throw him harshly into his cell, he smiles as he falls asleep on the dingy old 

mattress.

His sister and the man he loves both got out, and are now safe from harm.

\-----

He’s been in the cell for four days, getting only one meal a day. 

Nobody has been to see him, nobody has talked to him at all. He has no idea what punishment he’s about to be given, but he has an inkling of what it will be. 

His guts are telling him that he’s going to die. 

Corey was killed for smuggling, so it only makes sense for him to be killed for treason and attempted murder. And the buying of the drugs that Corey had smuggled in. 

It seems he’s following in his mother’s footsteps after all. 

He chuckles quietly to himself at that irony. He looks around the dirty prison cell, then up to the ceiling, seeing nothing but the open loft, showing the lightbulbs there. “Well, mum, it seems I’ll be seeing you again really soon.”

The only response he gets is the sound of his own breathing. 

Laying down on his mattress, his arms pillowed behind his head, he stares up at the lights. 

All he can do now is wait for his inevitable death.

\-----

The door opens on the sixth day. 

Louis thinks it’s a bit early on in the day, but it’s hard to keep track of time with no clock, and only the overhead lights telling him whether it’s day or night. 

The Governor smiles down at him. It’s a cruel smile, showing all his perfectly white teeth. 

The guards lift him up off the bed, dragging him out of the room, following the Governor through the narrow hallways. The Governor starts talking, not even giving him a glance. “Now is the time for you to pay for your crimes. We are going to make a stop at my office so we can appropriately decide what to do with you.”

Louis accidentally lets a laugh escape. “You’re kidding? You’re obviously about to execute me.”

The Governor turns around, slapping him hard before walking faster. Louis’ skin tingles with pain but he doesn’t give the Governor the satisfaction of crying, or wailing, or anything of the sort. He just glares at his back.

They push him into a chair in the Governor’s office. The chair is hard and uncomfortable, especially since his hands are tied at his back. 

The Governor stares at him for a little while, and Louis glares. He has no need to hide his distaste for anyone. 

“You have the chance to choose your own fate. Three options,” The Governor begins, grabbing a pipe from his desk and putting tobacco into it. Louis wants to curl his lip in disgust, but for the moment, he pushes the urge down. 

They had supposedly run out of tobacco five years ago, all the smokers in the compound had had to quit cold turkey, including Louis. 

“You can stay in your little prison cell, getting one meal a day, for the rest of your life,” The Governor continues, ignoring Louis’ glare as he puffs on his pipe. “Or you can earn our trust back by working for us, tending to our needs. Mine and my associates, that is, and anyone we wish you to tend to.”

“What needs?” 

“Our  _ needs _ ,” The Governor smirks. 

Louis swallows the bile threatening to escape. “And the third?”

“We execute you,” The Governor says, smiling in his cruel way again. “Now.”

Louis smiles. “I choose death.”

The Governor’s smile dims before going to a full blown grin. “Alright.”

\-----

He’s thrown unceremoniously onto the stage. There’s gasps that ripple through the crowd. His hands are still bound behind his back, but he somehow manages to right himself so that he stands on his knees. 

The crowd of people all stare at him, and as he sees some of their faces, they’re dumbfounded. 

The Governor clears his throat loudly, getting the attention of the people. “Louis Tomlinson. Stands accused of treason and murder.”

Louis startles at that, looking up at the Governor and then back at the crowd. Bob is nowhere to be seen, so Bob must be dead. He smiles. 

“Any last words, Tomlinson?”

The Governor is clearly trying to make a spectacle out of this execution, so Louis will give him one. “Yes, Governor.”

The Governor hands the mic to a guard, who holds it up to Louis’ mouth. “The Governor and his associates have been lying to you for  _ years _ .”

The mic is removed from his face, but Louis doesn’t let it deter him, he just starts yelling as loudly as he can. “He lied about  _ everything. _ There is still tea in the world, tobacco, freedom! He never told you what they smuggled in-”

He’s kicked in the stomach by the guard. 

The Governor is blabbing into the mic, trying to dissuade the people from believing his “lies”.

The guard lifts him and Louis knows he’s about to be hanged. 

Then there’s a loud explosion, and the people in the square start to panic, running in all directions towards their homes. The Governor tries to quell the panic, but it’s hard when he’s panicking quite hard himself. 

The guard drops Louis onto the ground, and he lands with a grunt of pain.

Then a loud gunshot sounds. Louis blinks as something wet hits his face, and then he sees it. The Governor is dead, his blood is on his face.

Harry appears above him. “ _ Baby. _ ”

Louis whimpers as Harry helps him up, and Harry immediately starts patting him down, looking him over for injuries. 

After Louis has been back on his feet for a couple minutes, Harry is still busy looking him over. “Harry.”

“Yeah, baby?” Harry replies distractedly. 

Louis leans up on his tiptoes and kisses him. 

Harry cups his face, deepening the kiss for a minute before he pulls back. “I was so scared that they’d already killed you.”

“They wanted to make me sweat,” Louis shrugs, and Harry notices he’s still bound. He grabs a knife from his pocket to cut his restraints.

He rubs his wrists after his hands are free, and is glad that he’s not too sore. Harry drags him into a tight hug, and Louis buries his face in his shoulder, inhaling the scent of the man he loves. 

“This lovers reunion is cute and all but we should get going,” Niall says, appearing from behind Harry. He pats Louis on the back. “Good to see you, Louis.”

“You too, Niall,” Louis replies, smiling. 

Harry grabs the microphone from the puddle of The Governor’s blood and clears his throat into it. It still works relatively well, so he clears his throat again as he gains the attention of the panicking crowd. “We are not here to hurt anyone. We only came to save Louis, and to tell you all that your government doesn’t have to be this way. You deserve freedom, to live however you wish to live. If you choose to come with us, there is more than enough room for you in our compound.”

The crowd is quiet, a hush falling over it. Louis cuddles up to Harry’s side as he listens to him talk. 

“My name is Harry Styles and I am the leader of the Thieves,” Harry waits patiently as the gasps and whispers die down in the crowd. “Yes, we exist. We also have tea, good nutritious food, and happy people. We are a democracy. So, if you want to come with us, you will meet us at the gate in half an hour.”

Louis smiles proudly and takes the mic from Harry. “Corey was killed by The Government for smuggling in some painkillers, and other medicine that The Governor and his associates have been keeping for themselves. The Governor still has tea, and tobacco, and half the things they told us weren’t possible to make anymore. The Thieves share that with their people.”

Corey’s mother appears at the front of the crowd, holding Corey’s little brother in her arms, and Louis climbs down from the stage to embrace her. “I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head, moving her hand up to cradle his cheek. “I’ll come with you. Me and my son.”

He gives her a smile, grabbing her hand and leading her away from the crowd, towards the gate. 

Harry can handle the rest before they leave.

\-----

**Epilogue**

_ A year later _

Louis walks through the door to his and Harry’s home, Harrison’s little feet padding after him. 

“Harry, love, Little Haz is staying for dinner!” 

Harry appears in the kitchen doorway, a teasing smile on his lips. “I thought I was your Little Haz?”

Louis snorts, and Harrison snorts behind him, making Louis’ smile widen. Harrison is in the phase where he copies everything Louis does, and he loves the little bugger. “You’re my Big Hazza.”

Harry cackles loudly, making Harrison giggle and run into his arms. Louis rolls his eyes and joins them in the kitchen. 

Harry shows Harrison the soup he’s cooking for dinner, and Harrison stares at it in fascination. 

Harrison is almost two years old, and it’s so fascinating how much he’s grown in just the little over a year that Louis has known him, and his mother, Leigh-Anne, had even taught Louis how to take care of Harrison’s hair, as he and Harry both aren’t used to Harrison’s unruly afro curls. 

Now, once or twice a week, Harrison gets to stay with them overnight so Leigh-Anne and her husband, Andre, can get a little time to breathe, and go on dates. 

Harry blows a raspberry into the little dimple in Harrison’s cheek, and Harrison’s loud giggles fill the space. Louis snatches him playfully out of Harry’s arms, pressing a quick kiss to his boyfriend’s lips. 

He takes Harrison into the family room, letting him draw on some paper with some pencils as he cleans the space up a bit. 

Lottie will be over later to eat dinner with them, and she will be happy to see Harrison as well, having bonded with Harrison in Louis’ absence back when he let himself be captured by the soldiers in Donny.

He’s very happy with the world now, as Doncaster is finally a democracy. Harry had spent a lot of time going back and forth, delegating an election and helping rebuild the compound in the people’s interest. 

Everybody is finally happy. The soldiers had been disbanded, as they weren’t needed anymore to control the people on a Governor’s orders.

Lottie is doing what she loves, no longer plagued by the pain of her cramps after the Thieves’ doctors operated on her, and now she gets through her periods with minimal cramping, not having to use her painkillers as a crutch. 

She works at a hair salon, doing hair and make up on anyone who wishes to have it done. She colored her hair pink, and while it still feels weird for Louis to see people with weird unnatural hair colours, he thinks it suits her well. 

He got a tattoo with Harry on their sixth month anniversary, a compass on his forearm pointing home. 

And Harry had gotten the ship to match, and they are happy. 

He is finally  _ home _ . 


End file.
